Repeated assessment of the endogenous 24-hour profile of blood pressure under constant routine

The impact of environmental and behavioral factors on the 24-h profile of blood pressure (BP) has been well established. Various attempts have been made to control these exogenous factors, in order to investigate a possible endogenous circadian variation of BP. Recently, we reported the results of the first environmentally and behaviorally controlled laboratory study with 24-h recordings of BP and heart rate (HR) during maintained wakefulness. In this constant-routine study, a pronounced endogenous circadian rhythm of HR was found, but circadian variation of BP was absent. This result suggested that the circadian rhythm of BP observed in earlier controlled studies, with sleep allowed, was evoked by the sleep-wake cycle as opposed to the endogenous circadian pacemaker. In order to verify our previous finding during maintained wakefulness, we repeated the experiment five times with six normotensive, healthy young subjects. Statistical analyses of the hourly measurements of BP and HR confirmed the replicable presence of an endogenous circadian rhythm of HR, as well as the consistent absence of an endogenous circadian variation of BP. Thus, this study provided additional evidence that the 24-h profile of BP--as observed under normal circumstances--is the sole result of environmental and behavioral factors such as the occurrence of sleep, and has no endogenous circadian component.